The owner of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Elon Musk, shared on Sunday (1st)an ironic photo montage that portrays the Ukrainian president in a tense manner, accompanied by a message that alludes to a gap of more than five minutes without requesting billions of dollars in aid.
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This remark refers to the Ukrainian president’s continued requests to convince his Western allies to provide more weapons and financial aid to defend the country against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
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However, the publication provoked anger in Ukraine. “Any kind of silence or sarcasm related to Ukraine today is a direct incitement to Russian propaganda, which justifies violence and destruction,” responded Mikhailo Podoliak, Ukrainian presidential advisor, on the same platform.
The relationship between Ukraine and Musk is complex. Kiev expressed gratitude for the access to satellite technology provided by the tycoon, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, but also expressed indignation when the businessman suggested that the country cede part of its territory for the sake of peace.
Musk, for his part, claimed to have prevented a Ukrainian attack on the Russian fleet in the Black Sea the previous year by denying them access to the internet through the Starlink network.